Which part of the door the height rule measures
Section 404.2.7 measures the operable part: the lever you press, the pull you grip, the thumb turn, the latch release, the keyed cylinder. Those sit 34 in. minimum and 48 in. maximum above the finish floor. The escutcheon, the rose, and the closer body are not operable parts, so their position does not count either way.
A door with two operating points, a lever and a deadbolt for example, has to keep both inside the range. On a sliding door, 404.2.7 adds a condition: with the door fully open, the operating hardware must still be exposed and usable from both sides, which rules out a flush pull that disappears into the pocket.
The rule reaches every door, doorway, and gate on an accessible route under 404.1, not only the entrance. A restroom door, a corridor door, and a locker room gate all count.
Levers, pulls, closers, and the force to open
Section 309.4 decides the shape of the hardware. Operable parts must work with one hand, without tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist, and with 5 pounds of force at most to activate. A lever, a push bar, a push or pull plate, and a U-shaped pull all pass. A round knob that has to be grasped and twisted does not.
Section 404.2.9 sets the force to open the door itself: 5 pounds maximum for an interior hinged, sliding, or folding door. Fire doors follow the minimum force the administrative authority allows. The force to retract the latch bolt is not counted, which is why a closer can be adjusted to the 5 pound figure without the latch being blamed for the excess.
Closing speed has its own numbers. Under 404.2.8.1 a door closer must take 5 seconds minimum to move the door from 90 degrees open to 12 degrees from the latch. Under 404.2.8.2 a spring hinge must take 1.5 seconds minimum from 70 degrees open to closed. Both are adjustments made on site, and both get checked.
The opening itself
Section 404.2.3 requires a clear width of 32 in. minimum, measured between the face of the door and the stop with the door open 90 degrees. An opening deeper than 24 in. needs 36 in. Nothing may project into the clear width below 34 in., and between 34 and 80 in. a projection is limited to 4 in. A closer or a door stop is allowed at 78 in. minimum above the floor.
Three more details on the leaf. A threshold is 1/2 in. high maximum under 404.2.5. The push side must be smooth across its full width within 10 in. of the floor, with joints within 1/16 in. of one plane and any kick plate cavity capped, under 404.2.10. Where the door has a vision light, the bottom of at least one glazed panel sits 43 in. maximum above the floor under 404.2.11.
Where two hinged doors sit in series, as at a vestibule, 404.2.6 requires 48 in. minimum between them plus the width of any door that swings into the space.
Choosing door hardware
Specify lever trim or push and pull sets, and check that the lever, thumb turn, and any auxiliary lock all fall between 34 and 48 in. on the door elevation. A panic or fire exit device is door hardware too: its touchpad or crossbar is the operable part, and the same height and one-hand rules apply.
Order closers with an adjustable sweep and latch speed so the 5 second closing time can be met without exceeding the 5 pound opening force. Where a door cannot meet the force with a closer alone, 404.3 covers automatic and power-assisted doors, which are built to ANSI/BHMA A156.10 or A156.19. State and local codes can add to these rules, and the authority having jurisdiction has the final word.